An intermediate-mass black hole hidden behind thick obscuration
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985815%3A_____%2F24%3A00601313" target="_blank" >RIV/67985815:_____/24:00601313 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0358542" target="_blank" >https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0358542</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad7f56" target="_blank" >10.3847/1538-4357/ad7f56</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
An intermediate-mass black hole hidden behind thick obscuration
Original language description
Recent models suggest approximately half of all accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs, M-BH greater than or similar to 10(5)M(circle dot)) are expected to undergo intense growth phases behind Compton-thick (N-H > 1.5 <bold>x</bold> 10(24) cm(-2)) veils of obscuring gas. However, despite being a viable source for the seeding of SMBHs, there are currently no examples known of a Compton-thick accreting intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH, M-BH similar to 10(2)-10(5)M(circle dot)). We present a detailed X-ray spectral analysis of IC 750-the only active galactic nuclei (AGN) to date with a precise megamaser-based intermediate mass <10(5)M(circle dot). We find the equivalent width of neutral 6.4 keV Fe K alpha to be 1.9(-1.0)(+2.2) keV via phenomenological modeling of the coadded 177 ks Chandra spectrum. Such large equivalent widths are seldom produced by processes other than fluorescence from dense obscuration. We fit three physically motivated X-ray spectral models to infer a range of possible intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosity posteriors that encompass the systematic uncertainties associated with a choice of model. Despite a wide range of predicted intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosities between similar to 10(41) and 10(43) erg s(-1), all three models agree that IC 750 has a Compton-thick line-of-sight column density to >99% confidence. Compton-thick obscuration is well-documented to impinge substantial bias on the pursuit of SMBH AGN. Our results thus provide the first indication that Compton-thick obscuration should also be properly considered to uncover and understand the IMBH population in an unbiased manner.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10308 - Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science)
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2024
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Astrophysical Journal
ISSN
0004-637X
e-ISSN
1538-4357
Volume of the periodical
975
Issue of the periodical within the volume
2
Country of publishing house
GB - UNITED KINGDOM
Number of pages
11
Pages from-to
230
UT code for WoS article
001349688600001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85208812537